The present invention generally relates to packages for hermetically sealing consumable products between generally opposing panels. More particularly, the invention relates to packages which are uniquely well suited to packaging thinly sliced proteinaceous materials such as sliced luncheon meat in a manner which protects the integrity of the thinly sliced proteinaceous material while simultaneously providing the consumer with the ability to observe a substantial portion of one of the slices of proteinaceous product and in order to see at least a shingled edge portion of most or all of the other slices. Typically, the package includes a semi-rigid panel which both supports and encloses the proteinaceous material, with the other panel typically being a flexible sheet through which the displayed proteinaceous product is visible. Proteinaceous materials such as sliced luncheon meats, sliced cheeses and the like have long been packaged between generally opposing panels which are vacuum packaged or gas flushed and hermetically sealed in a manner which permits relatively easy opening by the application of digital forces or the like so as to provide access to the proteinaceous products by the consumer. In many instances, these packages include rigid or semi-rigid components which define shaped cavities within which the stacked or shingled proteinaceous products are contained. Examples of these types of packages include those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,498,018 and 3,647,485 of Seiferth et al and 3,228,168 and 4,866,911 of Grindrod et al. In such packages, multiple proteinaceous products are arranged in stacks wherein the proteinaceous products are in one or more vertical stacks such that the proteinaceous products are directly one on top of another or are arranged in shingled fashion. In some instances, the packaging includes a vacuumizing procedure whereby a flexible film is pulled down over the stacked proteinaceous products in order to shape the film to closely overlie at least one face of the proteinaceous product stacks. Other packages are gas flushed, and both the rigid or semi-rigid package and the flexible panel are not substantially changed in shape during gas flushing to remove oxygen or other undesirable components from within the hermetically sealed package.
Vertically stacked or shingled products which have been packaged heretofore as discussed hereinabove have been used to package proteinaceous products other than those which are thinly sliced. Such customarily packaged proteinaceous products would typically have from about 8 to about 15 slices per inch of the vertical height of the stack. Thinly sliced proteinaceous products of the type suitable for packaging according to the present invention can be defined as including between about 22 and about 36 slices per inch of the vertical height of the stack.
Because of their thin and somewhat delicate nature, prior attempts to package thinly sliced proteinaceous products such as luncheon meat have not been particularly desirable. One example is that of products which are currently commercially available in which thinly sliced luncheon meat is packaged in a somewhat disorganized fashion between opposing flexible film panels. The haphazard manner in which these proteinaceous products are packaged and displayed tends to damage consumer confidence in the product, which can give the impression of a jumble of overly processed and/or restructured proteinaceous products. Consequently, at the present time, when a consumer wishes to purchase what is perceived to be a high quality luncheon meat and the like which is thinly sliced, it is necessary for that consumer to purchase products which are freshly sliced at a deli counter or the like.
One of the advantages of packaging proteinaceous products into neat stacks in which the face of at least one of the proteinaceous products is clearly displayed is that such a packaging approach allows the muscle texture or structure defined in a proteinaceous meat product to be easily seen and appreciated by the consumer prior to purchasing the packaged goods. Even if a proteinaceous product does have a perceived advantageous muscle definition, this attribute of the proteinaceous product would not be readily observable by the consumer prior to purchase and opening of the package when the packaging does not consistently display a large portion of a generally flat surface of a slice of the product.
There is a need for a packaging arrangement whereby thinly sliced proteinaceous products are packaged in a manner by which the product is arranged and maintained in neat stacks even during distribution through commercial trade channels and upon being handled by consumers in retail storage compartments and/or display racks. It would be desirable to provide such a package wherein the slices do not shift significantly during these types of normal commercial handling activities so as to provide a packaged product which enjoys enhanced consumer confidence both in the integrity of the package and the quality of the proteinaceous product therewithin.
In summary, the packages according to the present invention hermetically seal proteinaceous products between generally opposing panels, one of which is a semi-rigid panel and the other of which is a flexible film panel. The semi-rigid panel includes an enclosure area which is generally wedge-shaped. A peripheral flange area generally defines an access opening into this generally wedge-shaped enclosure area. The flexible film is secured to the peripheral flange in a manner by which a stack of thinly sliced proteinaceous items is hermetically sealed therewithin. The package-enclosing compartment thus formed has an overall configuration having a substantially flat face and a generally opposing face which has a substantial portion thereof that is inclined with respect to the flat face. This provides a generally wedge-shaped enclosure that closely conforms to the shape of and thereby supports a shingled stack of thinly sliced proteinaceous products, which stack is folded onto itself in generally doubled-up fashion in order to thereby form a folded stack which also has an overall wedge-shaped configuration. Typically, these packages will be arranged for display, such as by hanging from a peg or the like, according to an orientation in which the thickest depth of the wedge-shaped configuration accommodates the folded portion of the shingled stack, and the thinner depth section of the wedge-shaped enclosure accommodates the shingled edges of some of the shingled and folded slices. In an especially preferred embodiment, one of the panels is generally opaque, while the other panel is transparent, the transparent panel being the panel overlying the shingled edges of the folded stack.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved semi-rigid package for thinly sliced proteinaceous products and to a method of forming such a package.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved package and method of assembling same which is especially suitable for displaying thinly sliced luncheon meats and the like which are arranged in a shingled stack that is folded over onto itself.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved package and method which supports thinly sliced proteinaceous materials in a manner in which shifting of the slices is substantially prevented, even during distribution and marketing through commercial channels of trade.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a consumer attractive package which compactly displays at least a portion of substantially all of the slices of proteinaceous material stacked therewithin.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved package and packaging method wherein the muscle definition of a meat product or the like is consistently visible from package to package.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.